Spotlight on Crystal Eyes

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Mission Community Market in Blog, Vendor of the Week | Leave a comment

By now, many of you know that Mission Community Market is no ordinary farmers market. Besides fostering community, promoting family health, and engaging local youth, our market helps local businesses thrive. MCM diversifies our vendors, reducing competition and providing a wide variety of hand-made, hand-grown products to everyone that enters. This week, we welcome our newest addition to the market: Crystal Eyes.

As a native to San Francisco, Maria Young has been vending on the street for many years. She began with working in health food stores, holding food demos at stores such as Rainbow Grocery, and learning the art of creating displays and the technique of sales. She was introduced by a friend to the owner of The Love of Ganesha on Haight Street where she made her first meaningful trade that got her into the crystal business. At a time in need, her friend loaned her crystals to sell on the street. This shop has provided the city with 16 years of giving, blessing those that enter, fostering community, and connecting people from all over the world. Maria is now a ‘branch’ of the store, sharing gems with everyone in SF and now at our very own market. For Maria, selling at MCM is all about

“the atmosphere, meeting people, and the experience”

Each day, there are new people that are drawn to her, she watches the days change before her eyes, and loves seeing how these gems have the power to connect people. Though opening her own store isn’t in her immediate plans, she’s hoping to sell her wares at the Treasure Island Flea Market in the near future.

All of the items that lay upon her beautifully decorated table are naturally-found materials. She mainly sells crystals, jewelry, incense, sage, and palo santo at the market each Thursday from 4-8pm. Stop by this week and strike up a conversation with this San Francisco native!

Spotlight on Papi Chulo Salsa

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Mission Community Market in Blog, Papi Chulo Salsa, Vendor of the Week, Vendors | 1 Comment

Love in every bite

There is never a dull moment at Mission Community Market and thanks to Roberto Biggs at the Papi Chulo Salsa stall, the vibrancy radiates from 4-8pm each week without fail. Inspired by the salsa at a local Mexican restaurant, Roberto Biggs tested out many different recipes to try to replicate this spicy treat. Through many years of trial and error (like deciding whether to roast merely half of the garlic or the entire head) and balancing the proportions of the ingredients, seven and a half years later he has created what he believes is the perfect salsa. Many blind taste tests were done with the help of friends, relatives, and local business owners. Finally, the salsa went commercial on March 31, 2013. Now one year later, Papi Chulo Salsa can be found at farmers markets in San Mateo, The Castro, Glen Park, and of course our very own Mission Community Market. His products are also found in Aisle 3B at Rainbow Grocery, and has been highlighted on three radio shows with a future TV debut lined up for April 17, 2014 @ 4:30 KOFY TV 20 on Earth Day.

Papi Chulo Salsa is unique because it’s more than just a condiment. This salsa can make the simplest recipes come alive. You can add Papi Chulo Salsa to your tacos, pizzas, sopes, nachos, burritos, pastas, ceviche recipes, and more. There are four varieties of his salsa: mild, medium, hot, and very hot. All the ingredients are sourced locally, organically, and sustainably. Roberto produces roughly 200 liters of salsa per week and individually bottles each batch immediately after production to ensure that the salsa remains at its freshest state. But shh…the secret ingredient in this amazing salsa is not onions, but oranges! Combined with heirloom tomatoes from San Benito Farm, the salsa dances uniquely on the tongue thanks to the extra tang of citrus.

What can Mission Community Market and the patrons of Papi Chulo Salsa expect in the future? Chips! Roberto plans to hand-make his own salsa chips, with all future proceeds donated to the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund in honor of his mother. On a larger scale, expansion is the goal for Roberto Biggs, who hopes to expand past the Bay Area and into Southern California and Sacramento in the next five years. With a ten year plan of expanding coast to coast, Papi Chulo Salsa hopes to grace your table with its presence wherever you travel in the near future! Come on down to MCM each Thursday from 4-8pm to dance a few salsa steps with Roberto Biggs while you sample his amazing salsa!

Spotlight on Grandma’s Homemade

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Mission Community Market in Blog, Good Eggs, Grandma's Homemade, Vendor of the Week | Leave a comment

As you travel though the market each Thursday, you may notice a man with an electric smile. Staged before him are a variety of colorful jams, arranged neatly in rows. As you approach the stand, you may notice his smile growing wider as he hands you a taste of one of his homemade jams. Each of these jams has been hand-crafted by Fadi Malouf and his products are always free of preservatives. How Fadi Malouf arrived at making jam helps one understand the true passion that lies in each of these jars.

“Fruit and sugar fuels the energy between the people and me at the market, with only a jar in between”

After suffering from a near fatal accident as an industrial-fuel engineer in Lebanon, Fadi retired early and traveled to San Francisco merely ten days before 9/11. Initially just visiting family members, he was captured by the beauty of the bay and made the decision to stay due to the impending wars in the Middle East. Each Saturday, Fadi visited a local farmers market to connect with the farmers, the city, and his community. One Saturday he came across a large box of figs which was sold to him for a mere $20. Fadi said, “this box spoke to me, I don’t know what it was, but I just knew I had to buy it.” From this one box, Fadi made 43 jars of fig jam with the assistance of his grandmother via telephone in Lebanon. As a young boy, Fadi would help his grandmother make jam for sale at local markets which enabled her to make extra money during World War II.

These 43 jars were dispersed among family and friends who then inspired him to continue making jam to sell at his cousin’s cheese boutique. Customers started to inquire about the jam and eventually his jam reached a customer who happened to organize the Artisan Markets for Williams-Sonoma. He began to travel all over the Bay Area selling his jams at these Artisan Markets and now, three years later after that first fig purchase, Grandma’s Homemade jam is sold at twenty-one stores, six farmers markets, and is also available for purchase through Good Eggs.

For Fadi, the act of making jam is nostalgic and comforting, as most of his recipes having been passed down for generations and now grace our own community market! Currently he has twelve flavors, the newest being Ginger jam! Take some of Grandma’s Homemade jam home today to truly understand the love and care that is put into each jar. To hear his story firsthand, stop by the Grandma’s Homemade stall at MCM each Thursday from 4-8pm or check out his Facebook page for more information.

New Vendor: Rhizome Urban Gardens

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Mission Community Market in Blog, Vendor of the Week | Leave a comment

We’re thrilled to introduce a new vendor to the market: Rhizome Urban Gardens! Rhizome Urban Gardens is a worker-owned cooperative that designs, installs, and maintains organic gardens and landscapes. Though creating landscapes that are beautiful, ecologically sound, and food-producing, they can transform any space into an oasis!

At MCM, Rhizome will sell seedlings, starts, dish gardens, and creative plant arrangements. You can also pick the brains of the incredibly knowledgeable team behind Rhizome Urban Gardens for gardening tips, or perhaps even hire them to landscape your yard, incorporating the fundamentals of permaculture into your garden and your home.

Last week was their first week out at the market, so come on down this Thursday to say hello and welcome them to MCM!

Featured Vendor: Boffo Cart!

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Mission Community Market in Blog, Boffo Cart, Vendor of the Week, Vendors | Leave a comment

If you haven’t yet had a chance to taste some of the delicious dinner options from Boffo Cart, you’re missing out on some of the best food that MCM has to offer.

Operated by Rhasaan Fernandez of Sam’s Log Cabin in Albany, this street food vendor joined the market in April 2013. Boffo Cart offers a unique menu each week that has something for everyone–vegetarians and omnivores alike. The best part is, everything is made with organic, in-season produce. Rhasaan makes his own calzone and piadina dough, and can often be found shopping for his ingredients from the MCM vendors before the market. Come on down to see what this talented chef has whipped up with all the produce from the vendors you’ve come to know and love.

Featured on the Boffo menu this week:

The Italian Chopped Pork Sandwich (Pasture raised pork seared with onions, marjoram & basil)

Piadina (thin homemade Italian flatbread) with tomato, basil & mozzarella

Eggplant Parmesan Calzone with a twist, featuring Japanese eggplant, thai basil, tomato, and bird chilies

Panini with Gypsy peppers, onions & mozzarella

Get on down to MCM this Thursday 4-8pm, and come hungry!

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